"Let the match continue!"
In an instant, Flare and Swift rushed forward to engage a Magneton and Raichu in battle. Derek forced his eyes to stay open as exhaustion clouded his mind, but he still had enough sense to shout out instructions. When he glanced to his side, though, his partner didn't seem to be doing as well.
"Wake up, you idiot," Derek growled before shouting as loudly as he could, "Wake up! Or I'm gonna have to kick your ass until you—"
"I'm awake!" the boy spluttered, his eyes snapping open and his body jumping into alertness. His pair of glowing emerald eyes scanned the battlefield, and he shouted to Swift, "Mud Shot at the Magneton!"
"Raichu, Discharge! And Magneton, Light Screen." The Gym Leader let out a roaring laugh as he shouted, "Crush those babies!"
Derek made an irritated noise in his throat as he watched the lights fill the room with a spectacle of colors. A golden aura flooded out from every inch of the Magneton's body before fading into nonexistence. The Raichu, too, was bathed in light that disappeared right as it released a burst of electricity, seeming to burn the air itself.
A sense of déjà vu flooded his mind as he watched the Discharge attack surge through the air, memories of his battle against Emily flooding his mind. Derek watched as electricity arced off its body like an aura of pure power, hissing and jumping around. All of the electricity turned to shafts of light that blasted in every direction, ranging towards the shocked Eevee and Charmander. They barely managed to deflect the attack with their full power moves, and yet even so, Flare and Soran were scorched by the intense electric jolt.
It wasn't going to happen again. There was no way, no way, it was happening again. He pushed back his sleeves and pushed the hair out of his eyes. Discharge was fast, all right; he barely had time to blink before the attack was already reaching for their Pokémon. Still, statistics and information filled his head, with his brain working overtime in an attempt to formulate a strategy.
There was no time to give a command, but he knew that Flare had been ready for the attack. The Charmander had been storing a whole bunch of energy in his claw since the battle had begun, and he released it now with an upwards sweep of his claw. The ever-useful Flame Slash awed the Gym Leader and Gym Trainers as it tore through the electricity, causing the rest of the attack to fizzle out. It wasn't over with that, though; Flare dragged his claw through the air and literally threw the already-fired Flame Slash through the air with an Ember, diverting its path and adding to its strength.
The three claws of fire rended the air apart as it sang its hellish melody. It rushed towards the Raichu but was shrugged off by the Light Screen that reappeared with a golden array, casting the flames to the ground, where they simply burned out. Electricity sparked from the pouches on the Raichu's cheek, and in a few minutes the Electric Mouse Pokémon was glowing with an aura of sizzling energy.
Volt Tackle! Derek marveled at the staggering power of the attack, but he snapped himself out of it when he saw the Raichu charge. It almost seemed to glide along the ground, so quickly it moved, and before any of the Trainers could so much as react, Flare took the full brunt of the attack.
An explosion of fire and electricity burst from the two clashing Pokémon, disrupting the battle between Swift and the Magneton. For a few seconds, both Charmander and Raichu were hidden in the flames and sparks. The clang of Flare's claws sounded as they smashed against an Iron Tail with such force that the air itself seemed to shiver. Waves of power flooded throughout the cloud, causing it to disperse, but another crushing attack sent up another blast of dirt. However, moments later, Flare seemed to score a critical hit. With a yelp of pain, the Raichu was flung out of the dirt cloud, visibly burnt.
Derek turned to his Charmander and was amazed by what he saw. Just like the Raichu's Volt Tackle, Flare was glowing with an aura of energy, yet, in Flare's case, it was of a fiery red shade. If he hadn't been forced to study as much as he had, he would have probably mistaken it for Flare's Blaze ability, for the appearance was remarkably similar. But on closer inspection, the flaming aura raged and seemed to almost consume the air around it: a Flare Blitz attack. It soon faded away, and the moment it did, Flare's knees buckled, and he hit the ground panting.
Obviously, Flare's judgment had been wise. While Flare Blitz did cause the user to take one-third of the damage as recoil, so did Volt Tackle. Both attacks had been strong enough to cancel each other out, which, while leaving both Pokémon in devastated states, was the most one could hope for. Besides, a frontal attack was the only way to get through the Light Screen, as the barrier helped protect the user from all Special-type moves.
The lieutenant's booming voice brought Derek back to his senses. "One more Volt Tackle, Raichu!"
"Swift, cover for him!" Damion shouted.
"Ee!" Soran shouted from behind Derek, making him turn. "Eevee, vee!"
"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, bewildered. Even if Derek didn't understand, though, Flare obviously did. With another almighty slash, he shredded the air with a Flame Slash, sending the attack straight towards the Magneton. The Light Screen instantly came into effect, but even the reduction in damage wasn't enough to stop the heavy blow. The Magneton was blown out of the air, sizzling from the heat.
Right behind Flare, Swift was knocked away by the Raichu's Volt Tackle. The electricity had dispersed and been absorbed, yet the speed at which the Mouse Pokémon had been moving wasn't to be underestimated. Swift crashed into the wall with a heavy crack, causing Damion to shout out in alarm. "Swift, you all right?"
The lack of answer made it apparent that the Wooper had fallen unconscious. Damion returned him with a bit of a sour expression before holding the Great Ball up. He had been holding it in a clenched fist for a while, but now he pressed the button, causing it to expand. Concern evident on his face, he threw the Great Ball before he could change his mind.
"Houndour!" roared the Pokémon, showered in a glow of white sparks. The Gym Trainer acting as the judge never got a chance to announce the new round starting, as Serin instantly lunged towards the Magneton with glowing fangs.
"This is why I didn't want to release her!" Damion groaned, holding a hand up to his face in worry.
"Oh, suck it up," Derek snapped. He turned back to the battlefield, only to see Serin land a Fire Fang on the Magneton. Almost immediately, she was blown away by a SonicBoom and sent skidding into one of the trenches. "Flare, back her up."
"Char!" He rushed forward, but he was grabbed from behind by the tail. A malevolent grin had found its way onto the Raichu's face as it dragged Flare back. Moments later, a blast of electricity surged from the Raichu, followed by Flare's growls of pain.
"What a mess," Derek muttered to himself. He watched as Flare used another Flare Blitz, bathing himself in flames and forcing the Raichu to back off. They clashed, Flare Blitz to Volt Tackle, and sent another explosion of clashing elements through the room. "Use this opportunity, Damion!"
"Right! Serin—eh?"
The Houndour raised her head to the ceiling and let out a roar of power. All the flames Flare had released into the vicinity seemed to be sucked in and absorbed by Serin. She glowed crimson before once again engaging in a furious battle with the Magneton. Nothing, from Shockwave to Thunder, was working against the Houndour, who either dodged or countered with an equally powerful Fire-type attack.
It was astounding, but wrong in every way. Derek cast his gaze towards Flare, who managed to divert one of the Raichu's Electric attacks away from Serin. However, moments later, he received a Tri Attack from behind, courtesy of the Magneton Serin had been facing. They weren't fighting together like they should.
And that was the Trainers' responsibility.
"Serin!" Derek shouted to the Houndour. She cast him a glare before continuing her fight with the Magneton, smashing it into the ground. "I don't care what you think of Damion, or of myself, or of Flare, or of anything; shut up and listen to this! The next time you disobey orders, I'm going to go in there and pummel you myself. You got that?"
He received a Flamethrower in response, which seemed to graze his shoulder a bit. He eyed the flames worriedly, but they dissipated within seconds. Had it not been a serious flame? Either way, though... He glared at the Houndour as darkly as he could with the bursts of electricity and flames distracting his vision. "Would you like to try that again, Serin? Answer me!"
Her attacks seemed to suddenly lose their heat—literally. The flames flickered out of existence, and she received a heavy SonicBoom to the side for it. Derek could only wonder if his tone had really affected her that badly as she struggled to stay standing.
"Flare, recharge her!"
It was a gamble, really. He had shouted his orders on a whim, believing that Serin would turn around, that giving her some extra flames would win her over and convince her to help fight with them. Well, screw that; Houndour were obviously not so easily persuaded. The moment Flare blasted her with an Ember, she channeled all of that energy into one attack, crushing the Magneton with an array of flames.
"Return her!" Derek called to Damion, turning to him quickly. "I guess that didn't work; just call her back for now!"
"R-right. Serin, return!"
The exhausted Houndour disappeared from the battlefield in a glow of red without too much of a struggle, as did the Magneton. Only Flare and the Raichu remained on the arena, surrounded by not-yet-dead flames and a wasted battleground. Trenches and craters had replaced the once-flat dirt ground—the products of the various attacks used in the battle.
Derek let out a low, fake chuckle. "Guess that was my fault, eh?"
"Sorry, Derek..." Damion mumbled, staring at the ground. "I guess I let you down that time. I'll be sure to train Serin better next time, so—"
"Oh, quit your whining." There's still one more attack to go, after all. "Flare, finish this with one more Flare Blitz." I trust you.
A low laugh escaped Lt. Surge as he saw Flare begin to ready himself for the attack. The man nodded his head, almost as if in...respect? "Raichu, let's honor 'em, eh? Volt Tackle!"
"Rai rai!" the Electric Mouse Pokémon agreed. It, too, began to glow once more with one last effort. The aura was notably less vibrant and much more translucent than the once seemingly solid energy from the beginning of the battle, but Derek knew it was still a force to be reckoned with.
The two Pokémon dashed forward and clashed in one more magnificent display of power. Fireworks of flames and electricity exploded around them and showered them in light, neither side letting up. Their feet dragged into the ground, and the dirt groaned in distress as it was dug up. Their energies melded before violently reacting with one another, further adding to the battle. Moments later, a sudden burst of electricity strung from the Raichu's body and arced through Flare, an unavoidable electric current. The Charmander suddenly froze up as the attack dealt its damage, in what Derek knew to be paralysis.
Raichu's ability: Static; upon physical contact, the opponent has a chance of being paralyzed. Derek let out a soft growl in his throat. So not only were they unable to use Special attacks at full power due to the remaining Light Screen, but now Flare was restricted from moving?
His Blaze ability activated at the last minute, causing a sudden surge of strength to flow into Flare's Flare Blitz. The attack almost doubled in size, yet still the Raichu held the advantage. Soon enough, the flames dispersed, and Flare was left holding the glowing mouse at bay with bare claws. He was thrown back into the dirt with such force that a cloud of dust surrounded him, while the exhausted Raichu sank to the ground, panting. A triumphant smirk was evident on its face as it let out a loud "Rai!" and one more burst of electricity.
"Did we...just lose?" Damion asked in disbelief. His green eyes stared at the cloud Flare rested in, disbelief flitting across his face.
"Eevee!" Soran shouted as loudly as she could with her crippled form.
He couldn't understand her exact words, but he didn't have to. Destiny, right? Yeah, thanks a lot. Show them what you've got, Flare.
Flame Slash! The claws tore through the cloud and slashed at the Raichu's back, which caught the unsuspecting Pokémon by surprise. It hit the ground nearly instantly, three long burns still smoking on its back. Shocked cries came from the Gym Trainers, while Damion let out an amazed "Wow!"
Derek simply turned to Lt. Surge, glaring at the man as darkly as he could. When he had expected to receive another insult, though, the man simply burst out laughing as he returned his Raichu to its Poké Ball. "Congrats, kids, you've won yourselves two Gym Badges!"
The glare changed to a surprised stare. "You...mean...?"
"We won, Derek! We won, we won, we won!" Damion shouted, laughing as he grabbed Derek by the shoulder. They hit the ground, Derek being too surprised to catch himself. For a minute, they rolled around, the red-eyed boy trying in vain to get the other boy off of him.
"Get off—I said get off, damn it!"
"But we won! Haha! Eat that, world!" The boy sat up and threw a fist into the air. "That's three Badges already! Boo-yah, who's the king now?"
Derek couldn't help but feel amusement at the boy's antics as he, too, sat up. When he turned towards where Soran had been lying down, she was no longer there, but he knew she was just talking to Flare on the battleground. "Yeah, Damion, we won. No thanks to you, I might add."
"Hey, Swift was awesome. And Serin did great beating that Magneton, even if..."
"If she didn't listen?" Derek let out a scoffing sound. "Control your Pokémon, Damion. That goes for Sorari, too."
"W-well...well I..."
"Well, you both won, and that's all that matters for now." Lt. Surge picked them both up with one hand each, proving that his muscles weren't just for show. He handed both boys an eight-pointed golden star. "Your names?"
"Derek."
"Damion!"
"Derek and Damion." The man smiled kindly before patting them on the shoulders. "You two'll be good Trainers. Congrats on winning in the Vermilion Gym."
Derek nodded, a bit of respect for the man flooding him. A facade, was it? Or perhaps this man really only respected those who could win in a battle. But either way... "I thank you, Lt. Surge."
"Thanks, mister!" Damion twirled on his heel, faced and held his badge up to the sky, and shouted, "I just got the Thunder Badge!"
Derek slapped him across the head before hefting up their bags off the ground. He noticed the two Gym Trainers scowling sourly and, just to spite them, saluted. "See ya, Gym Trainers."
They muttered several things under their breaths before the buzzcut man responded, "Yeah, yeah, kid, just get outta our Gym. Don't disturb people when they're sleeping!"
Derek motioned for Flare and Soran to follow, and the two boys stepped out of the Gym triumphantly. The moon shone above them, glistening above cotton clouds. "How 'bout we finally get some sleep, hm?"
"Finally! But before that..."
"Yeah?"
"Can we get something to eat?"
Derek cast him an amused glance. He bit back an insult and simply said teasingly, "Fine, but only 'cause we won today, you spazz."
"Sweet! Food!" Damion's walking gained an very noticeable bounce to its steps. "All right!"
"And you're paying."
"Oh c'mon, that's not fair!" He stopped in the middle of the street. " At least pay half!"
He shrugged before leaving Damion behind on the road. "No."
"But..." Damion began, reluctantly following him. "Can't you—"
"Nope."
"Derek!"
A/N - Just gotta say, guys, I really love you all. And I sound really ungrateful every author's note, but really, forty plus reviews is amazing for a fic like this. I just...wow. Jesus, guys, go read some actually worthwhile fics, lol.
Um, yeah, on the topic of fanfiction, I've realized how much I detest writing Lost Memories, Revamped! It's actually kinda weird, considering. Of course I'm gonna keep going at it, but it's tiring after rewriting it so many times. You have no idea, no idea, how many different Lost Memories there have been. THERE'S A REASON IT TAKES OVER TWO WEEKS! (I'm also lazy, so yeah.)
Seriously, though? Thanks a lot, everyone. Especially OceanSpiral, who, despite not reviewing too much (due to her busy schedule and her more worthwhile activities), was the one who first inspired me to keep writing. (And by the first, I really mean the first. Way back in January 2011, with the original Lost Smiles.) I gotta say, thanks a lot to her.
I'm feeling sentimental today. God. I'll save the rest of the thanks for the end of the fic, so see y'all later. =D